This invention relates to a lining element for heat treatment furnaces. This invention relates also to a lining structure containing lining elements.
It is a known practice to provide lining structures which are used for thermal insulation purposes in industrial heat treatment furnaces. These structures are fastened to the interior wall of the furnace and in their innermost layer, that is the layer closest to the interior of the furnace, the fibers are mainly directed parallel to planes which are perpendicular to the interior furnace wall. The elements, which are installed at the layer, consist of fibrous plates disposed one after the other and situated perpendicularly to the interior furnace wall The plates are pierced by means of supporting a element, with which the lining element is fastened to the furnace. This ensures, that the fibers will not become easily detached from the lining. Moreover, the supporting elements serving as the fastening means, are situated within the fibers and they are not exposed to deteriorative circumstances within the furnace. Between the element and the interior furnace wall, a layer can be provided, which contains less expensive and thermally less resistant fibers, such as ceramic fibers or mineral wool.
The structure described hereinabove is disclosed by DE-OS No. 35 33 982. The elements shown by this publication comprise a supporting element piercing the insulating material consisting of ceramic fibers, and a plate welded to one end of the supporting element and provided with a flange. The element can be secured to the interior furnace wall or to a support projecting from the interior furnace wall by means of screws at the location of the flange. The said plate is also provided with a hole, into which the end of the supporting element in the next element can be inserted when the element is mounted at its place. The structure of these elements has some disadvantages, which makes their use and installation cumbersome. The free end of the supporting element piercing the insulating material does not very firmly hold the fibrous plates in their places, for example, during the transport of the elements. For this purpose a stopper must be provided, which causes difficulties when mounting the elements. Further, the fastening plate at the other end of the supporting element is inconvenient, because attaching it by means of screws to the interior furnace wall or to a specific fixing means provided thereon is time-consuming and difficult.